The Kings have a chance to turn a solid stretch into something better Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, where they’re going for a third straight win and trying to keep the road trip on the right track against Jack Hughes and the Devils.
That matters for a team that has spent plenty of time sorting through its early-season results. The winless start drew the most attention, but the Kings also had a few games where the puck simply didn’t bounce their way.
In other spots, they played well enough to win and didn’t get the goaltending. That part has flipped lately.
Darcy Kuemper has been the one bailing them out, and he did it again against the Islanders last time out.
For head coach Peter Laviolette, the result is what counts right now. He’s looking to get the Kings back to NHL .500, and a win today would move them closer to that while also giving them a winning record on the trip.
The biggest lineup question centers on Quinton Byfield. With no morning skate, there’s still no clear read on whether the 24-year-old center is ready to return.
Laviolette is scheduled to speak with reporters at 10:30am Pacific, which should provide some answers. If Byfield is available, he’d most likely slide in at 2C.
If not, Erik Haula should stay there for now.
The other major decision is in goal. Kuemper has been rolling, and after getting the day off yesterday, he could be back in net again. If that’s the case, Anton Forsberg would likely only get one appearance on the trip, since the last two games after today come on back-to-back nights next week.
On the blue line, Cody Ceci appears set to sit after the Kings won with a 12+6 look in their last two games. That configuration has brought two straight victories, so the current six defensemen should stay intact.
There was a tweak during Thursday’s win over the Islanders, though, with Erik Gustafsson separated from Brandt Clarke. Whether that pairing gets adjusted again is something to watch.
Clarke, though, has been hard to ignore no matter who’s beside him. Over the past three seasons, he has blocked more than 12% of the shot attempts that have come against while he’s on the ice, the highest rate of any skater in the NHL.
He’s also blocked 8.5% of xGs, trailing only Chris Tanev. That’s a big part of why his D RTG is so strong.
Thursday’s win also added another notable line to Clarke’s resume. His overtime goal was the second of his career, and it put him alongside Drew Doughty as the only defensemen in Kings history to score multiple overtime winners before turning 24. Doughty did it on March 22, 2010 against Colorado and again on Jan. 5, 2012 against Phoenix.
Kuemper’s role in that win went beyond the saves, too. He picked up an assist on Clarke’s overtime goal, giving him eight career helpers. He also stopped 41 of 43 shots for his second win of the season and 62nd as a King, moving past Felix Potvin for seventh place in franchise history.
The Devils have their own moving parts, and most of them won’t be settled until after the Kings leave town. Friday afternoon, general manager Sunny Mehta made a major trade to bring in goalie Connor Hellebuyck, though he won’t be ready for this game.
The move also forced New Jersey to adjust without Dawson Mercer on the roster. One of the pieces coming back was Alexander Command, who was previously profiled in a June article on the 2026 NHL Draft predictions.
New Jersey comes into this one off a 4-1 win over Anaheim on Thursday and is expected to use Jake Allen in goal. Its projected lineup has Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and J.T.
Evangelista on the top line, with Jack Hughes centering Jesper Bratt and Andrei Gritsyuk on the second. Adam Fox and Brett Pesce are listed together on defense, with Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton as the next pair.
For the Kings, the projected forward group has Artemi Panarin with Alex Laferriere and Adrian Kempe on the top line, followed by Alex Moore, Erik Haula and Mats Zuccarello. Ryan Lee, Scott Laughton and Joel Armia make up the third line, with Alex Wright, Janne Helenius and Corey Perry on the fourth.
The defense projection has Clarke with Gustafsson, Vladislav Gavrikov with Drew Doughty, and Mikey Anderson with Joel Dumoulin. Kuemper is the expected starter, with Forsberg backing him up.
Puck drop is set for 12:30 pm Pacific Time. The game will air locally on ABTV, available on DIRECTV, Spectrum, Cox and other Southern California cable and satellite providers, and it can also be streamed on DAZN. A Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
In Other News...
Kings Suddenly Have An Early Problem They Cant Ignore
The Kings left Prudential Center with a 3-1 loss to the Devils, and the bigger concern was how little trouble they caused on offense while New Jersey kept rolling to a third straight win. Los Angeles put only 13 shots on goal and never found much rhythm against Jake Allen, a flat showing that fit the frustration coach Peter Laviolette and several players voiced afterward about the teams second-period issues and the need to play with more aggression.
For a club that has talked about establishing its identity early, this was the kind of night that cant be brushed aside. The Devils were able to take control with a late second-period push and then finish the job from there, leaving the Kings to sort through a loss that felt more revealing than the final score alone. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Hit First Road Trip Setback After Frustrating Night In Jersey
The Kings ran into their first road trip setback Tuesday night in Newark, falling 3-1 to the Devils at Prudential Center after a game that slipped away despite an early spark. Scott Laughton got Los Angeles on the board with his second goal of the trip, finishing off a feed from Adrian Kempe, but the Kings could not carry that momentum through the rest of the night.
New Jersey quickly steadied itself and turned the game in its favor from there, leaving the Kings to regroup after a frustrating result away from home. Trevor Moore, Joel Edmundson and coach Peter Laviolette all addressed the loss afterward, a sign of how much the club will want to clean up before the trip rolls on. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Got A Frustrating Reminder About Ontario In Texas
Ontarios trip through Texas brought another reminder of how thin the margin can be for the Kings AHL affiliate, as the Reign fell 5-2 to the Texas Stars at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Lane Pederson did his part to keep the game within reach, scoring both Ontario goals, while Cole Guttman chipped in two assists and Hampton Slukynsky stopped 14 shots in the loss.
The frustration, though, came in the special teams battle, where Ontario never found a way to cash in on repeated opportunities. The Reign went 0-for-7 on the power play, a stretch that loomed even larger as the game slipped away and left them searching for the kind of timely finish that could have changed the night. [Read more 🡒]